Hey, so uh. I know this blog isn’t usually serious but like. I don’t know how much you all know about this situation in Northern California. I live one town over from the Camp Fire, which is now both the most destructive and the deadliest fire in Californian history. An entire town has been leveled. Surrounding towns have been deeply affected. Those of us whose homes are safe all know several people who lost everything. Last Thursday morning, I woke up and looked out my window and thought it looked like the end of the world.
I can’t eloquently explain what it’s been like. I wouldn’t know how to start. I’ll link to an article written by a professor at my school, who describes it far better than I ever could: When Paradise Is On Fire
I don’t have a lot to say, because honestly, I am at a loss. It’s now been a week, and I haven’t been able to get my thoughts together. I just wanted to share some donation opportunities for anyone who has heard about this disaster and wants to help but doesn’t know how:
Wildcats Rise – Fire Recovery Fund: This is a Chico State specific fundraiser, to support the students, faculty, and staff who’ve been affected. We have a lot of professors who lived out of town, and students who commuted.
Butte Humane Society: Many people couldn’t get to their pets in time, and people have been finding more and more injured animals. The Butte Humane Society has asked for donations on Facebook, as they’ve been treating evacuated animals. They’ve also offered free microchips to anyone with proof of address in one of the affected areas.
North Valley Community Foundation: This is a local nonprofit organization, collecting relief funds for the evacuees and the first responders. From what I understand, in addition to helping individuals, they’re also planning for how to use funds for recovery after the fire is completely put out. The long term consequences of fires like this is really one of the biggest concerns.
ultimately i think kindness is the most radical thing you can do with your pain and your anger. it’s like, you take everything awful that’s ever been done to you, and you throw it back in the world’s teeth, and you say no, fuck you, i’m not going to take this. you say this is unacceptable. you say that shit stops with me.
humans are fucking terrible and this awful world we live in will fucking kill you but if you are kind, if you are brave and clever and try really hard, you can defy it. you can impose on this bleak and monstrous structure something beautiful. even if it’s temporary. even if it doesn’t heal anything inside you that’s been hurt.
i’m gonna sleep and i’m gonna wake up and i swear by everything in this deadly horrible universe i’m gonna make someone happy.
i’ve seen a number of comments and tags where people feel that they must swallow or repress their anger in order to engage in kindness. that is not at all what i am recommending here. radical kindness is an expression of anger. it is not passive. it is not repressive. it does not require you, in any way, to forgive those that have fucked you up. it does not require you to be quiet.
it just requires that you be kind. viciously. vengefully. you fight back. you plant flowers. give to charity. play games. pet someone’s dog. scream into the dark. paint and write and dance, tell jokes, sing songs, bake cookies. you have been hurt and you don’t have to deny that hurt. you just have to recognize it in other people, and take their hand, and say: no more. enough. fuck this. no more.
have a cookie.
i will say this again: we are all going to die. the universe is enormous and almost entirely empty. to be kind to each other is the most incredible act of defiance against the dark that i can imagine.
i will say this again: we are all going to die. the universe is enormous and almost entirely empty. to be kind to each other is the most incredible act of defiance against the dark that i can imagine.
3. Two good quotes by Kurt Vonnegut: “Hello babies. Welcome to Earth. It’s hot in the summer and cold in the
winter. It’s round and wet and crowded. On the outside, babies, you’ve
got a hundred years here. There’s only one rule that I know of,
babies-“God damn it, you’ve got to be kind.”
And: “Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do
not let pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your
sweetness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may
disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place.”
Another good quote:
“I. THIS IS NOT A GAME.
II. HERE AND NOW, WE ARE ALIVE.”
You can be kind and fuel it with rage. You can be kind and fuel it with a bitter twist, or you can be kind and fuel your kindness with righteous anger, or you can be kind and fuel it with love or spite or ecstatic joy. And no matter what your fuel is, you still can make kindness happen in the world so that people can warm themselves by it.
Kindness isn’t an emotion, kids. That’s the thing. Kindness is action. Kindness is choosing to take your emotions and channel them towards doing the most good where you can; to choose the targets of your actions carefully; to spread a little joy behind you, when you have a little to spare.
Kindness can mean a gentle word or a shouted imperative. It can be a warm meal or a gentle hug or a clean death. Kindness can manifest in many ways, and not all of them are one hundred percent nice. The kind thing to do may be doing nothing at all.
But kindness is, above all else, an action. We are imperfect humans, and we cannot control our emotions–but we can control what we do as a result. We can control the actions that our emotions and experiences propel us to perform.
The darkness is nothing but the absence of light, you know. It is endless and nihilistic and all enveloping. A lit candle has no hope against it.
But if enough of us light small candles and little matches behind us as we walk through this wide, uncaring universe, we can light up that sky. We can take an empty world and we can fill it with each other.
That’s how we can take the bones of an empty universe and forge a warm hearth fire humanity can use to keep back the night.
But kindness is, above all else, an action. We are imperfect humans, and we cannot control our emotions–but we can control what we do as a result. We can control the actions that our emotions and experiences propel us to perform.
I’m also a fan of Camus:
“In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer. And that makes me happy. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there’s something stronger – something better, pushing right back.”
“...Gurira beat out Avengers: Infinity War’sChris Hemsworth,Jurassic World star Chris Pratt, Deadpool 2’sRyan Reynolds, and her Black Panther co-star, Chadwick Boseman, for the honor.”
“Thank you for affirming that women and girls, when they are given the chance to hang with the boys, can hang with the best of them…”
⍤: What does your muse’s voice sound like? Is it light? High pitched? Scratchy? Deep?
✍ : What is your muse’s handwriting like? Is it neat? Sloppy? Fancy?
☕ : Does your muse prefer coffee or tea?
⌚ : Is your muse good with keeping on schedule for meetings, appointments, or events, or are they always late? Or, are they always a bit early?
♿ : Has your muse had any injuries in the past?
☺ : What is your muse’s smile like? Do they smile often?
⚡ : How does your muse feel about storms? Are they afraid of them, or do they calm them?
⚠ : How does your muse react to possibly dangerous situations? Do they face them head-on, or do they plan out their actions first?
☃ : What is your muse’s favorite season? What about their least favorite season, if they have one?
☂ : Does your muse like rain?
☼ : Does your muse like daytime or nighttime more?
🏨 : How well does your muse sleep?
❤ : What are your muse’s thoughts on love? If they are not in a relationship, do they believe that they will ever find a perfect someone for them?
☘ : Does your muse believe in luck? How about fate?
⚯ : Does your muse have good eyesight? If not, what is it like? Are they nearsighted or farsighted? Or both? Do they use glasses? Or do they prefer contacts?
👓 : If your muse wears glasses, what are their glasses frames like?
♨ : Does your muse have good table manners? How do they feel about bad table manners?
❀ : What is your muse’s opinion about flower crowns?
♬ : Does your muse sing well? Regardless of whether they sing well or not, do they enjoy singing?
📐 : Is your muse good at math? Do they like it, or do they hate it?
♞ : What is your muse’s favorite animal?
εїз : How does your muse feel about bugs and insects?
📱 : Does your muse prefer calling or texting?
☆ : Of the sun, stars, and the moon, which is your muse’s favorite?
ツ : Does your muse prefer lots of friends, or just a few close ones?
✝ : Is your muse religious?
I’m so tired of being shy I’m not that girl anymore I’m not that straight A anymore Now I want to sit with my legs wide open and Laugh so loud that the whole damn restaurant Will turn and look at me and say Look at the tiger jumping out of her mouth
icyxmischief 